The Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 23. 1918. THE COAL CRISIS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 12404, 23 August 1918, Page 4

The Star. FRIDAY, AUGUST 23. 1918. THE COAL CRISIS.

Tho account which we published yesterday concerning tho position on the West Coast coalfields gave an indication that serious trouble is likely to occur. The miners throughout Now Zealand are practically unanimous in demanding a conference with the mineowners, holding out the throat to strike unless tho owners meet the Federation representatives. It is a significant feature that somo of tho miners have not waited for tho result of the current negotiations, but have gone on strike, presumably in defiance of tho wishes oven of the Federation Executive. Mr Semple says that tho federation was endeavouring to prevent tho stoppage of work, and ho ventured tho opinion that tho trouble was a local one, having nothing to do with the larger issue. Against this view, however, there is tho positive declaration that tho Blackball and Boa miners have decided not to return to work until a 20 per cent increase in wages has been granted. Tho federation, therefore, lias shown that it cannot control its own adherents. It is an invariably preliminary to more or less amicable negotiations that tho status quo must be respected, and wo imagine that if there is to be a conference tho owners will first require that the miners who are on strike will resume. The strike will embarrass tho federation representatives, and probably pressure will he brought to bear on tho strikers to keep the industrial poaco until the federation finds out what peace is worth. There is a suggestion that the Government will sot up a Royal Commission fo. inquire into the wages dispute. This course has something to commend it from tile point of view of the public, as it would determine tho merits of tho rather bewildering statistics issued by the opposing parties to the dispute. Tho public might also he enlightened as to tile reason why it is paying high prices for very indifferent coal. Tho miners claim that the public is being exploited by the present retail price of coal, and this point of view is gaining them a great deal of sympathy for their own demands, which the merits of their case could hardly win for them. Wo havo pointed out previously that an increase to tho miners is not going to reduce the price of coal to the consumer. It is inevitable that an increase in tho cost of production will be followed by an in thy charges against the consumer, and the Inst state of the consumer will be worse than tho first. If there is to ho a Royal Commission to deal with the mining trouble, it should not confine its attention to the question of wages. The Dominion is now faced with the possibility of a serious strike, and any investigation should be of the most thorough description. The position is a rather unfortunate commentary on Marshal Foch’s appeal to tho British minors: “Coal is the key to victory. Miners of Britain, help me!”